Mirana Medina is both an advocate for the deaf and an artist. Her 2006 film, Alyana: A Study of Autism in the Philippines, has been viewed all over the Philippines. Her upcoming movie is the first feature-length documentary film on Filipino deaf culture. Silent Odyssey: A Journey into the Deaf World premiered September 20, 2008 at the University of the Philippines Film Center Theater.
Issues in the Deaf Community

“I have to admit that many issues tackled in the film were new to me,” reporter Fujioka Junkichi said after viewing the piece. "So, in that sense, the film has accomplished its purpose of introducing what is happening in the deaf community in the Philippines.”

The film chronicles a variety of issues, including the sentiments of Filipinos with hearing impairments towards hearing society and the pioneering efforts of significant members of Filipino deaf history. It also touches on important and current issues surrounding deaf education in the country.

Representing the Filipino Deaf Community
Silent Odyssey features more than 40 members of the Filipino deaf community, including educators, missionaries, and service providers and also boasts special participation by Markku Jokinen, president of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD).

“I want to tell deaf Filipinos not to forget that being deaf does not mean being worthless,” Jokinen says in the film. “Being deaf means being the best. Remember that your Filipino identity means being the best. Respect yourself. Be proud. And live as equals with others in the world.”

Importance of Hearing Aids and Sign Language
The film also delves into Jokinen’s views on oralism, the use of hearing aids and the importance of sign language. According to the Website dedicated to the film, it “takes a close look at the Filipino Sign Language (FSL)—its probable origin, uniqueness, present status vis-à-vis other sign systems, and its importance as index to the cultural identity of the Filipino deaf as a cultural-linguistic minority group.”

Respecting Deaf Culture
Filmmaker Medina enrolled in the Filipino Sign Language Learning Program (FSLLP) at the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS) in preparation for the making of the film. “Society is not limited to us, hearing people; deaf individuals are a part of our lives. Our community and our society are one and the same.

Even if deaf culture, values, and beliefs differ from ours, it is but proper for us to respect their own, in much the same way that we respect other cultural minority groups,” she commented after the experience.

The Journey into the Deaf World that Medina takes audiences on may lead most to the realization that the deaf are impaired not by their lack of hearing but by society’s failure to understand and accept their language and culture.

“Silent Odyssey is simply unbelievable in its quality and unmatched expressiveness in outlining the life struggles of the deaf and the deaf history in the Philippines. Mirana Medina’s excellent film will capture the heart of every movie watcher as it celebrates the expressiveness of language without a voice,” journalist Raphael Torralba’s review of the film reads.

Silent Odyssey: A Journey into the Deaf World (109 minutes, subtitles in English) is a production of Miryad Visyon in cooperation with the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Lingap-Pangarap Foundation, Inc.

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